Sam Fender gives his £25k prize award winnings to grassroots live spaces

The artist has given the complete sum of his £25,000 honor winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the Britain's small live music spots.

The star was given the award on mid-October as his third album his work was declared the best record of the past year.

He has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages played in his initial steps.

"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.

He also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous small stages across Britain.

The donation helped locations that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.

Other venues received monetary aid in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from performances in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," the star has commented.

The musician is among several artists to donate his honor winnings to good deeds.

In Pulp received the prize in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist Cocker declared that the act would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.

During 2002, artist she shared her award across multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I contributed a grand to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," she told the media.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

Also 1994 winners they donated their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"Receiving the award was ample," stated singer Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected somebody else's life."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under local control.

One venue in the city and the second in that location were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by the arts council and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.